July 30, 2006

Isaac's Ordeal

Two weeks before we packed up our home and moved our family across the nation our Isaac fell off the slide. When I arrived to pick him up he was being cradled and comforted. I watched him the rest of the night as it was already late and there didn’t seem a need to go to the ER. I kept an eye on him the next day and the days that followed. He never showed a sign of pain or discomfort. He didn’t baby or favor it. It wasn’t until the day after we arrived at my parents new home (2 weeks after the fall) that I became suspicious. The boys were wrestling playfully letting out some pent up road energy when Isaac tumbled. I’m not sure how or if he landed on anything. All I know is that he screamed so loud I thought a siren went through my head. It was numbing, deafening in fact. Once again it was late in the evening and he jumped back up as if all was well. This time however I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach and I took him in. Thankfully my dad was able to pull some strings and work his usual magic and get us in first thing in the morning before the other patients arrived. Being out of town this was a real blessing.

Early that morning he and I ventured over to what would be one long day. The doctor came in and checked him over. Squeezed his arm up and down, moved it all over in all different directions. He looked at it from afar and up close. He even held both arms and just sat there pondering as if he were weighing them. He then said he couldn’t feel anything but, he thought that it might be just a bit swollen. That it looked a little puffier than the other. So he sent us across the hall for an X-ray. The radiologist took the x-rays and then hung them up to see if they had turned out. She gasped and told me to come and look. I didn’t have to! I looked up from my chair across the room the room in horror and could see the break! It was obvious he had clearly broken the bone straight through. We’re not talking about a little hairline fracture. This was a break in every since. As she filled her lungs back up from gasping in shock, she then exclaimed that she had never seen anything like it. She couldn’t believe that he had let her manipulate his arm like that for the x-rays without even batting an eyelash. Or, that the doctor could have done the whole exam without him showing any signs of pain or discomfort. Well we were the big news for the day, the talk of the town, the whole office was up in a roar. Everyone had to come and see. Isaac wasn’t amused at this point.

Needless to say they sent us over to an orthopedic specialist. After reviewing the x-rays he informed us that the bone had actually already started healing itself quit nicely when he fell on it and re-broke it. Yes, RE-BROKE it! So he had a fracture on top of a break. Right when I thought that sinking feeling couldn’t sink any lower, it sunk about another ten feet. Despite all of this it was truly a blessing that both times were a clean break and that they didn’t have to go in and re-align things or break things up some more. So we simply cast his arm in a lovely shade of blue and headed home.

I felt so horrible for multiple reasons. One of the biggest being that he wouldn’t be able to enjoy the summer in the sprinklers or the pool. I knew it was hard on him but he never complained. Nor did he complain about the itching. One day I asked him if it itched, it had been so hot and everyone had been so sweaty. I knew it had to be miserable. He replied as if it were no big deal, ‘yup’ and went right on playing.

The big day arrived. We all had talked about it, made plans about it, made a huge deal about it. Only to find that huge sinking feeling return when they re-x-rayed him and hung the pictures up to view. I sat there puzzled with one eyebrow higher than the other. Obviously that is not healed and if I hadn’t witnessed the whole process I wouldn’t have believed it was his x-ray. The bone had only partially healed. So I wasn’t surprised when the doctor came in and said we’d have to re-cast it. Being that he is so active and so young, we’d have to protect him from himself. Three more long weeks, that must have seemed like an eternity to him. I don’t know who felt worse at this point, he or I. He sat on my lap as they started wrapping the bandages around his arm yet again and he buried his head into my chest I could feel his heart sinking. He quietly with a quiver in his voice told me that he didn’t want them to use the noisy tool again to take it off. It was then that I realized he had been worried and even scared by it. I had prepped him for it and he sat there so brave on my lap not even flinching or whimpering. He even laughed a little as he showed his brothers what they were doing, mimicking the noise and the tickle of the vibration. I was impressed with his bravery, but I guess for a three year old it’s still terrifying. Nevertheless, he showed no signs of being afraid and masked his fear. Later he commented that he never wanted to take the cast off, to leave it on forever, because he didn’t want them to use that tool again.

As we left the office with heavy hearts and shoulders that hung, all hopes of a pool party that night were dashed, shattered to pieces. We slowly made our way to the parking lot when he stopped. I turned around to see my Isaac standing on the edge of the curb with the saddest longest face I’ve ever seen. His shoulders slopped until his fingers almost touched the ground, his head hung deep into his chest, his eyes drooped with heaviness and his lip stuck out so far you could’ve sheltered the entire midwest from the heat wave. You could see the weight of the world on that little boy. I put my arm around him and he whispered “I don’t wanna go home with a cast”. He hadn’t complained the entire time, not once and this was supposed to be the big day of celebration. He was supposed to be loosed from his shackles. He knew what he would have to face, the itching, the discomfort, the sponge baths and all that. I don’t blame him three weeks really must feel like an eternity to him. Well, he took a nap on the way home and it was all behind him. He was refreshed, renewed and hasn’t complained once. But, I know it’s driving him crazy.

August 9th is ‘take two’ day. We will once again attempt the removal of his cast. I can’t imagine it will need to be put on a third time. However, just to play it safe we are not making a big deal of it. And if all goes well we’ll come home and have a huge surprise celebration both for him and his brother’s birthday at the water park.

Here’s hoping, for a brave little boy who has waiting patiently long enough.

July 29, 2006

A Day in the Life

The wanderers we’ve become. No place of our own. Cameron is right we’ve been on the road or abroad more than not this summer. And it’s not slowing down. As he is flying out on Friday back in on Sunday and right back out the following day. Along with a long list of speaking engagements and meetings that all require travel booked through the remainder of the year. So basically as we stand right now we are living in AR out of UT through various locations throughout the world.

I hardly get a moment on the computer, as mine is in storage until we find a home. And when I do get a moment I’m frantically scouring realtor.com or researching neighborhoods and schools.

So in this rare moment I’m going to forgo the house hunt and jot down some fun little tidbits from the past few weeks.

Sweets for the SweetCameron is the milkshake man. After trial and error he has mastered the fine art of milkshake making. He has carefully calculated the delicate balance of ingredients that make up the exquisitely divine dessert. We have become accustomed to him spoiling us with his heavenly refreshment. One such evening upon Cameron announcing he would be making milkshakes. Everest asked if he could have a milkshake and a bowl of ice cream. His reasoning: “The milkshake is the drink and the ice cream is the food.”

The Inner BeastAfter gulping down a cold glass of apple juice, Isaac’s tummy gurgled. He giggled with a grin and asked, “Did you hear that?, that’s my bee in my tummy!”

No Room for Rubber NeckingOne evening we were all congregated in the same bathroom in front of the same mirror brushing teeth and getting ready for bed. Everest far on the inside trying to make his way out commented as he wiggled and squeezed his way through, “It’s like a car crash in here”.

Optimism of a 3yr OldMy heart ached for Isaac as we drove home from getting his cast put on. I told him how sorry I was and without hesitation and with great optimism he said, “It’s ok, mom.”, trying to reassure and comfort me. What a sweetheart.

Don’t Bust His Bubble!We were trying to get all the boys gathered around for our evening scripture study. Earlier Cameron had impressed the boys with his gum blowing abilities. Edison was still fascinated and insisted his dad blow another one. While Cameron was insisting now was not the time. Isaac seeing his brothers’ disappointment came to the rescue. “I can, watch this!”, he exclaimed proudly. He then proceeded to blow the biggest spit bubble ever known to mankind.

1st Things 1st For Isaac’s birthday he received a little superman action figure and a motorcyclist with a helmet among many other cool things. In no time he had the motorcycle helmet on superman and it remained there for sometime. You can never be too careful, even if you are a superhero. After all what kind of role model would he be if he didn’t set a good example. (Nice to see the safety lessons are sinking in.)

A Matter of Time.We were wrapping up dinner when Isaac started asking for ice cream. I told him in a few minutes and he quietly disappeared. I looked up from the table to see him starring up over the stove at the clock. Very intensely was he studying it with fixated eyes and a furrowed brow. He then turned towards me, while pointing at the clock with one hand and his other positioned on his hip he informed me, “ That clock says I need an ice cream”.

Battle of Witts.The boys were playing a guess what I’m thinking of game when it turned into competition. They were boasting about how hard they were thinking when I heard one say, “Well, I’m thinking so hard my brain is going to break”.

Road Trip.The morning of our trip to Europe Edison comes in and asks “are you going to Adam’s and Londyn’s today?”. Adam and Londyn being neighbor friends we left in UT.